1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to reproduction of digital image data obtained through a digital camera or the like as a visible image on a photographic print or a display system such as a WWW, and more particularly to a method of and a system for carrying out image processing on such digital image data, a method of and a system for reproducing such digital image data and an image confirmation system for use in carrying out the methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there has been developed a system in which image data is read out from a negative film and the image data is reproduced as a visible image on a photographic print or a display system such as a CRT after subjected to various corrections such as on color, gradation and brightness. Such corrections are carried out when a high quality reproduced image would not be obtained when the image data is reproduced as it is due to inappropriate photographing conditions such as overexposure or underexposure, or when the image quality is to be modified according to the tastes of the photographer.
Further recently there has been offered a service in which a necessary correction is carried out according to the request of the customer on finish of the print, e.g., to make the image tinged with sepia or to make the image tinged with orange so that the mood of the sunset is emphasized.
Further recently the similar service (or publication on Web or the like) has come to be offered on images taken by use of a digital camera and reproduction of images at high quality is expected as in images on negative film.
In the case of a picture printed from negative film, when a customer wants to trim the picture, the customer instructs a photo studio how to trim the picture viewing the printed picture and the photo studio prints a picture trimmed according to the instruction of the customer. Generally the trimmed picture is enlarged.
In the case of an image recorded on a photographic film, whether photographing was satisfactorily effected cannot be known until the film is developed and the image is read out and reproduced. Similarly result of correction for obtaining a desired finish of the print, that is, whether the correction results in the customer""s desired finish, cannot be known until processing at the laboratory is completed.
Further when a picture recorded on negative film is to be trimmed, a picture without trimming must be once printed and the customer must instruct how to trim the picture viewing the printed picture. Accordingly the customer must visit the photo studio at least twice, which is very troublesome.
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to make it feasible to confirm whether processing set according to a desired finish of a picture actually results in the desired finish before the image is reproduced on a photographic print or a CRT according to the processed image data, thereby ensuring that a picture of the desired finish can be constantly obtained.
Another object of the present invention is to make it feasible to quickly reproduce a trimmed image when an image represented by a digital image data is to be trimmed.
In some digital camera, a liquid crystal monitor is provided and an image taken can be immediately displayed on the monitor. Even if a digital camera is not provided with such a monitor, an image taken by the digital camera can be displayed on a monitor by connecting the digital camera to the monitor. Further image data obtained through, for instance, an image scanner can be immediately subjected to data processing since the image data is inherently digital data.
The present invention has been made on the basis of this fact. That is, in an image processing method of the present invention, an image confirmation system having functions of setting a condition of image processing which is to be carried out on given digital image data according to a desired finish, displaying a visible image on the basis the digital image data processed according to the set image processing condition so that whether the processed digital image data actually produces a picture of the desired finish can be confirmed through the visible image displayed, and obtaining desired image processing condition information representing the image processing condition which has been confirmed to be suitable for producing a picture of the desired finish is used to take in the digital image data and the desired image processing condition information, and
image processing is carried out on the digital image data according to the image processing condition represented by the desired image processing condition information.
It is preferred that the digital image data processed according to the image processing condition represented by the desired image processing condition information be reproduced as a visible image.
An image processing system of the present invention comprises
a data taking means which takes in digital image data and desired image processing condition information from an image confirmation system having functions of setting a condition of image processing which is to be carried out on given digital image data according to a desired finish, displaying a visible image on the basis of the digital image data processed according to the set image processing condition so that whether the processed digital image data actually produces a picture of the desired finish can be confirmed through the visible image displayed, and obtaining desired image processing condition information representing the image processing condition which has been confirmed to be suitable for producing a picture of the desired finish, and
an image processing means which carries out image processing on the digital image data according to the image processing condition represented by the desired image processing condition information.
It is preferred that the image processing system of the present invention be provided with an image reproduction means which reproduces as a visible image the digital image data processed according to the image processing condition represented by the desired image processing condition information.
A first image confirmation system of the present invention comprises
an image processing condition setting means for setting a condition of image processing which is to be carried out on given digital image data according to a desired finish,
a display/confirmation means which displays a visible image on the basis of the digital image data processed according to the set image processing condition so that whether the processed digital image data actually produces a picture of the desired finish can be confirmed through the visible image displayed, and
an information taking means for obtaining desired image processing condition information representing the image processing condition which has been confirmed to be suitable for producing a picture of the desired finish.
The term xe2x80x9creproductionxe2x80x9d as used herein means to reproduce the digital image data as a visible image on a recording material, thereby obtaining a hard copy, as in printing from negative film as well as to reproduce the digital image data as a visible image on a CRT or a monitor of a personal computer through a Web server. As a means for producing a hard copy, may be employed any known printer such as a photographic printer in which a photosensitive material is imagewise exposed to, for instance, a laser beam and developed, an ink jet printer, an electrophotograph, a sublimation printer and a type of printer in which a heat development photosensitive material exposed to a laser beam is superposed on an image receiving material and an image is heat-developed and transferred to the image receiving material such as a Pictrography 3000 (from Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd).
xe2x80x9cFinishxe2x80x9d is represented as color balance, gradation balance, brightness and/or reproduction area and is set as a numerical value by an operator or a photographer. Otherwise, a plurality of types of finish such as black-and-white finish, sepia finish, pictorial finish and the like may be defined in advance and displayed as a menu on a monitor of a digital camera or the like so that the operator can select one of the types as a desired finish.
Adjustment has been made on photographs according to judgement of laboratory side. For example, in the case of a photograph taken at a dark place, an adjustment for making a print brighter than that obtained from negative film has been made. However, the term xe2x80x9ca desired finishxe2x80x9d as used herein means a finish based on the taste or intention of the customer rather than a finish which the laboratory side thinks suitable.
Further the visible image displayed on the basis of the digital image data processed according to the set image processing condition in the image confirmation system should not be limited to an image on the basis of the intact digital image data processed according to the set image processing condition but may be any image provided that a result of the image processing can be known from the image.
In an image reproduction method of the present invention, an image confirmation system having functions of displaying an image on the basis of given digital image data and obtaining position information on a desired area which is set on the displayed image is used to take in the position information and the digital image data,
a part of the digital image data corresponding to said desired area is extracted from the digital image data, and
an image is reproduced on the basis of the extracted part of the digital image data.
The xe2x80x9cposition informationxe2x80x9d is information on the position of picture elements representative of a desired area which is set on the displayed image. For example, the position information may be information on the picture elements at the upper left corner and/or the lower right corner of the desired area or at the four corners of the desired area in terms of XY coordinates whose origin is, for instance, at the lower left corner of the overall image displayed.
After the position information is obtained, an image based on the part of the digital image data corresponding to said desired area may be displayed in place of the image based on the original digital image data.
When the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value, an alarm may be made.
The predetermined value is a number of the picture elements which ensures an acceptable quality of the reproduced image. That is, when an image is reproduced on the basis of the extracted part of the digital image data in a size equivalent to that of the image based on the original digital image data, the image quality is inevitably deteriorated since the number of the picture elements in the extracted part of the digital image data is smaller than that in the original digital image data. However if the desired area is too small, the number of the picture elements becomes too small (e.g., a half of the overall picture elements in the original digital image data) to ensure acceptable image quality of the reproduced image. Accordingly by setting the predetermined value to an appropriate value, an alarm can be made to inform the operator of that there is fear that the image quality of the reproduced image can be deteriorated to an unacceptable level.
Further when the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value, an alternative area where the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the area is not smaller than the predetermined value may be set on the displayed image in place of the desired area.
An image reproduction system of the present invention is for carrying out the image reproduction method and is provided with
a data extracting means which extracts a part of the digital image data corresponding to said desired area from the digital image data, and
a reproducing means which reproduces an image is on the basis of the extracted part of the digital image data.
A second image confirmation system of the present invention comprises
a display means which displays an image on the basis of given digital image data,
an area setting means which sets a desired area on the displayed image, and
a position information obtaining means which obtains information on the position of the desired area set by the area setting means.
The second image confirmation system may be provided with a desired area display means which displays an image based on the part of the digital image data corresponding to said desired area in place of the image based on the original digital image data.
Further the second image confirmation system may be provided with an alarm means which generates alarm when the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value.
Further the second image confirmation system may be provided with an area resetting means which, when the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value, sets an alternative area where the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the area is not smaller than the predetermined value on the displayed image in place of the desired area.
Such an alternative area may be an area containing therein picture elements in a number equal to the predetermined value or an area of a fixed size containing therein picture elements in a number larger than the predetermined value.
The first and second image confirmation systems of the present invention may comprise a digital camera with a liquid crystal monitor or a digital camera which is not provided with a monitor and in which an image taken by the digital camera can be displayed on a monitor by connecting the digital camera to the monitor. Further the digital camera may also include a mobile digital information terminal provided with the function of camera. Further the image confirmation system may comprise any system such as an image scanner other than the digital camera provided that it can obtain digital image data.
When the digital camera to be used as the first or second image confirmation system is an inexpensive one, an attempt to carrying out complicated image processing equivalent to that for printing will encounter difficulties in view of the cost and/or operating time. Even if the digital camera is able to carry out complicated image processing equivalent to that for reproduction, the result of the image processing cannot be completely displayed so long as the monitor associated with the digital camera is lower in resolution than that of the image to be reproduced. When the digital camera cannot have a sufficient function, the digital image data is reduced to conform to the resolution of the monitor associated with the digital camera and an image processing simplified as compared with that for reproduction is carried out on the reduced digital image data and an image may be displayed on the monitor on the basis of the digital image data processed in this manner.
The digital image data and the desired image processing condition information or the position information may be filed together in a format defined for the combination of the desired image processing condition information or the position information and may be stored together in a medium such as a built-in memory in the digital camera, a card memory, an image server in a laboratory system or a hard disc connected to a personal computer, or may be separately stored in different media.
As the data taking means which takes in the digital image data and the desired image processing condition information or the position information may comprise a card reader, a cable-connected interface, a media drive which takes in digital image data once stored in a hard disc or a removable medium of a personal computer, a communication means such as a network, or the like.
In accordance with the image processing method, the image processing system and the first image confirmation system of the present invention, since the image confirmation system has functions of setting a condition of image processing which is to be carried out on given digital image data according to a desired finish, and obtaining desired image processing condition information representing the image processing condition which has been confirmed to be suitable for producing a picture of the desired finish, desired image processing condition information which has been confirmed to be suitable by the operator viewing an image processed according to the condition can be delivered to a laboratory together with the original digital image data. Accordingly, a photographic print or a reproduced image in the desired finish can be surely obtained without repeating trial and error.
By making it feasible to input color balance, gradation balance, brightness and the like as kinds of finish, the request of the customer on finish of the print, e.g., to make the image tinged with blue so that blue of the sea is emphasized or to make the image brighter to generate a cheerful mood, can be more accurately reflected on the reproduced image. Further when the area of reproduction is set, a desired trimming can be accurately performed. When regular types of finish such as black-and-white finish and sepia finish, and the like are displayed so that the operator can select one of the types as a desired finish, the operation of inputting the desired finish is further facilitated.
In the image reproduction method and system of the present invention, since the image is reproduced on the basis of the extracted part of the digital image data which is extracted from the original digital image data according to the position information on a desired area which is set on the displayed image, only a desired area of the image can be immediately reproduced without once reproducing the overall original image.
In the second image confirmation system, by displaying an image based on the part of the digital image data corresponding to said desired area in place of the image based on the original digital image data, the image to be actually reproduced can be known immediately and in the event where the area of the image actually reproduced does not meet the request of the customer or the like, the area can be corrected.
In the image reproduction system and the second image confirmation system of the present invention, by making alarm when the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value, the operator can be informed of that there is a large possibility that the quality of the reproduced image is significantly deteriorated, which allows the operator to correct the area.
Further in the image reproduction system and the second image confirmation system of the present invention, by setting, when the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the desired area is smaller than a predetermined value, an alternative area where the number of the picture elements contained in the part of the digital image data corresponding to the area is not smaller than the predetermined value on the displayed image in place of the desired area, an acceptable quality of the reproduced image can be ensured even if the operator sets the desired area too small by error. Further when alarm is made in response to setting an alternative area, the operator can correct the desired area.